CFA Veterinary Residues Management Guidance

Kaarin GoodburnFood Safety & Technology Management Consultant

Chilled Food Associationwww.chilledfood.org

Programme

• Support and endorsement• Need for Guidance?• Why chilled?• Aims• Approach• Content• Sources of further information

Support & Endorsement

• Veterinary Medicines Directorate– Copies provided to Veterinary Residues Committee at

VMD’s request • Agricultural Industries Confederation (was UKASTA)• British Meat Processors Association• British Poultry Council• Provision Trade Federation• UK Association of Frozen Food Producers

Need – Legal Responsibilities

Under UK law it is an offence to sell or supply for slaughter for human consumption an animal or animal product

containing residues of an authorised veterinary medicine in excess pf the prescribed MRL or residues of

a non-authorised or illegal substance

Primary producers/primary processors must ensure that where an authorised veterinary medicinal product has

been used that the withdrawal period has been observed

Need for Guidance?

• Past contamination issues– Animal feed – chloramphenicol, medroxy progesterone– Honey – chloramphenicol, streptomycin– Poultry – chloramphenicol and nitrofurans– Seafood – chloramphenicol and nitrofurans

→Clearly summarised management tools required→ Veterinary Residues Management Guidance

Published April 2004

Why Chilled?

• Multicomponent products– Complex ingredient streams - national and

international sourcing– Animal derivatives content 0-100%, but large

proportion of products within 5% -25% range• Need for exceptional continuity of

ingredients supply

Aims

To help chilled food manufacturers

meet their legislative commitments and

commercial requirements

regarding controls on veterinary residues

Guidance Scope• Residues

– From veterinary medicines– Other pharmacologically active substances– Possible environmental contaminants

• Farmed animal-derived products containing– Meat– Poultry– Fish and seafood– Eggs– Animal fats– Dairy products– Honey

Guidance Approach

Management tools:• What to consider

– Types of substances leading to residues

• Control points– Routes of entry/administration

• What the law requires– Legislative approach

• Official monitoring and enforcement– Involved agencies and their activities

• Whop should do what in the supply chain– Various responsibilities throughout the food chain

• Demonstration of supplier standards verification– Schemes applicable at each stage of the supply chain

Guidance Content #1

• Description & classification of veterinary medicines and – their usage– legal status and – administration routes

• Concise summary of the legislative approach– Key legislation– MRLs– Third country approval process– Legal responsibilities

• Surveillance (non-/statutory)– Process– Follow up– Reporting

Guidance Content #2• Supply chain responsibilities

– All sectors of the supply chain must be aware of their legal obligations and must be compliant with them

– All suppliers should be encouraged to belong to applicable farm and/or feed assurance schemes with standards equivalent to those managed by the AIC, focusing on aspects relating to food, drink and veterinary treatments

– For each supply chain element• Applicable control approaches/schemes listed – assists

auditing feed mills, farms and slaughterhouses• Responsibilities set out

Example: Importer from Third CountriesKey Responsibilities

• Be aware of– Requirements placed on producers and feed manufacturers– problems and limitations in country of production via EC Approval process

• Buy only from assured sources which have been audited (may be documentary evidence of self-audit)

• Encourage supplier participation in assurance schemes• Have and be able to rapidly provide evidence of compliance

with legal and customer requirements• Monitor results of Port Authority testing• Inform manufacturing customers and take corrective action on

any Port rejections• Have demonstrable traceability in place• Monitor surveillance data and RASFF reports

Content #3

• Incident management– Full traceability paramount

• Definitions• Supplementary information

– Useful contacts– Sources of update information– Applicable UK and European source legislation

Outstanding Problems

• Reporting of contamination is generally in terms of processing plant identity, not of the raw material– Focus should be on husbandry, not processing

• Continuing issues in poorly controlled raw materials supply– How to instil best practice worldwide?

Sources of Further Information

• CFA’s Veterinary Residues Management Guidance, ISBN 1 901798 08 9: www.chilledfood.org/Content/Guidance.asp

• Veterinary Medicines Directorate: www.vmd.gov.uk

• Veterinary Residues Committee: www.vet-residues-committee.gov.uk

www.chilledfood.org